The Department for Child Protection is the sole agency in South Australia authorised to arrange adoptions.
Adopting a locally born child is a four step process and obtaining approval as a prospective adoptive parent may take up to two years from the time you first express an interest in applying.
Note, there is a different process for adopting a child born overseas.
Due to the small numbers of children placed for adoption in South Australia, there is no guarantee a child will be placed with you.
If you are considering adopting a child born in South Australia, refer to the following information:
- Adopting an Australian-born child (PDF, 416.4 KB)
- Local adoption – four stage process (PDF, 649.9 KB).
Eligibility
To be eligible to adopt a locally born child, you must meet all of the following criteria. These requirements are set out in the Adoption Act 1988 and Adoption (General) Regulations 2018.
- You must be a resident of South Australia and living here.
- You must be a permanent resident of Australia.
- You must be an Australian citizen, and in the case of joint applicants, at least one of the applicants must be an Australian citizen.
- You cannot be registered as a prospective adoptive parent if you had a previous registration that was cancelled on the grounds that it was improperly obtained.
- You cannot be registered if a child has, at any time, been removed from your care and become the subject of an order made under child protection legislation.
- You cannot be registered if you have been convicted of an offence involving:
- violence towards a child
- abuse of a child
- abduction of a child.
Local adoption process
There are 4 stages in the local adoption process including:
- initial screening and expression of interest
- education, application and assessment
- allocation and placement
- after the adoption order.
Fees and additional information
The following fees relate to adopting a local child in South Australia. These fees are current at 1 July 2024.
| First application | Subsequent application | |
|---|---|---|
| Lodging expression of interest | $688 | $443 |
| Upon application | $907 | $499 |
| Assessment fee | $885 | $448 |
| Upon placement | $440 | $440 |
Adult adoption
For more information about adult adoption, refer to the adult adoption booklet (PDF, 294.1 KB) .
Contact
Adoption Services
Phone: 1800 512 355 (current adoptions)
Email: adoptions@sa.gov.au